By Paul Suplee, MBA, CEC, PC-3

Last year was a year to end all years.

I have been fishing for decades, but until I met my girlfriend four years ago, I had been limited to river, pond and bay fishing — namely the Chesapeake. I love fishing the bay, but it wasn’t until 2018 that I was drawn offshore to start that mighty endeavor of game fishing.

With a slew of marlins under her belt already, Dawn got me offshore in the Keys, and from there it was off to the races. I was hooked, literally and figuratively.

On a side note, we were fishing with her cousin off Islamorada on my very first trip and she was tending to the port rod while I tended to the starboard.

Distracted by a discussion with her cousin, Todd, my reel popped. When she saw that I wasn’t paying a lick of attention, she stole my fish. Yes, she stole my fish. At the end of the day, I know she was just doing her job, and I was slacking.

Since then, I pay much more attention to the goings-on of the cockpit. Lesson learned. And at least we had mahi-mahi to take to Sharkey’s that night in Key Largo for some you-catch-we-cook dining.

We would do the same thing in Key West at Dante’s after a morning trip, just barely making it to our friend’s wedding on time. Priorities.

Back to fishing in Ocean City, I became known as “that guy” who will bring a cooler of food (I cater boats in-season) to keep everyone fat and happy for the duration of the trip.

Whether the fish boxes are filled by 11, or we don’t get our first bite until the late afternoon, we are fed. There is always plenty.

But, last year was an incredibly dry year for me here. Despite going out for a couple of tournaments, I did not boat my first fish locally until Dec. 28, a beautiful rockfish that was too big to keep because of those rascally game laws.

As much as I enjoy catch-and-release fishing, rockfish is an all-time favorite and I can always find a use for it in the kitchen, so it was difficult to throw her back in. But it’s easier to do what is right than explain to a game warden why you have the old girl in the fish box.

In Costa Rica last summer, we did catch some sailfish (more catch-and-release) and mahi-mahi (no release there) and as we continued our hunt for more sailfish, the first mate threw together a delightful ceviche. I believe I have written about ceviche multiple times in the past, with one rendition more of a loose variation on a theme, being a simple slice of mahi on cream cheese on a cracker with some lime juice sprinkled on top. While not a traditional ceviche, it is a fishing favorite in some parts.

The simplicity of the dish below, and the obvious freshness of the mahi having just been caught, cleaned and chilled, made this ceviche the most delicious that I had ever eaten.

With only a small handful of ingredients, this was done with the boat underway as Capt. Mumford found new hunting grounds, fresh avocado sliced to adorn the dish and a cooler full of Imperial.

This season will yield better results for me, I am confident. I’m taking the year off from tournament fishing and sticking to the weekdays when it is less of a parking lot out there. I’m looking forward to a year of ceviche.

Mahi Ceviche

makes about 1 quart

3 c. Diced raw, fresh Mahi

2 ea. Fresh jalapenos, sliced thin

1/2 c. Fresh orange juice

1/2 c. Fresh lime juice

Salt & Cracked black pepper

1/2 ea. red onion, julienne

Plantain chips (recipe follows)

• While this dish is a godsend to chefs in that we can utilize fish pieces instead of discarding them, make sure that you are using the premium parts of the filet. If you use pieces with a lot of cartilage, it will be overly tough.

• Combine everything except for the pickled onions and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

• Serve with freshly fried tortilla chips, pickled onions (you should know how to make those by now) and homemade plantain chips.

• Optionally, you can serve this with avocado, a natural go-to that perfectly meshes with the dish.

• Serve with an ice cold beer of your liking. If you can find Imperial, for the fun of it, I’d say give it a shot.

Plantain Chips

makes about 20

2 ea. Plantains, unripe and hard

Oil for frying

Seasoning of salt, sugar and cinnamon, to taste

• Slice the plantains on the bias about 1/3-inch thick.

• Heat oil to 325° and lightly fry the plantains until softened.

• Remove and pat dry, allowing to cool enough to handle.

• Place each plantain between 2 pieces of wax or parchment paper.

• Light smash them with a meat tenderizer, tortilla press or the bottom of a pan until they are thin and spread out.

• Bring the heat of the oil up to 350° and fry the chips in batches until they are golden and crispy.

• Remove to a paper towel to drain and then season to your liking.

• Keep them in an airtight bag or Tupperware until ready to serve.

—Paul Suplee is a Professor of
Culinary Arts at Wor-Wic Community College
and owner of boxcar40 and boxcar on main.
Visit him at www.boxcar40.com;
www.boxcaronmain.com